It's A Hard Life
by Timeslowsdown
Summary: What if Rusty had a little sister, what if Sharon also took her in. What will happen or has already happened to fourteen year old Annie Joy Beck.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Major Crimes or any of the characters sadly.**

We walk into this mystery woman's house all we know about her is that she's a cop. She's agreed to look after us after Rusty refused to stay at our foster house. Rusty is 2 years older than me so I'm fourteen years old, Rusty is very protective of me he never let me bring in any money he always made sure that he did everything and got everything that we needed. I always feel guilty about it but he never lets me help so I couldn't do it, I'm more polite than Rusty but more shy than Rusty. I'm also the one who bases things of fact, I don't base things on what I hope will happen I do it on what will probably happen unlike Rusty who does it the other way around.

We step into the apartment and look around it's very modern and stylish and I automatically love it

"You have a nice home" I complement her not knowing what to say

"Thank you "She says walking towards the kitchen

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" She asks me and Rusty

"No thanks" I reply for both of us noticing Rusty shake his head

I sit on her black leather sofa and place my bag on my lap; Rusty sits beside me and all but chucks his bag onto the floor next to us. The woman I think her name's Sharon sits down opposite us

"So I'm Sharron, what should I call you?"

"You can just call me Joy" I say and she smiles

"Rusty" grumbles my brother in an unpleasant tone

"Where's my room?" He asks rudely and I look down at the floor

"First door to your left down that hall" she says pointing to a door behind me

Rusty walks off and it's just me and her left

"I'm sorry about him" I apologise looking up

"Its fine" She says in a kind tone

"He seems mean but once you get to know him he's lovely" I say

"I'm sure he is" She says nodding

I nod along with her and then look down at my hands

"It's getting late, you should get some sleep" She says looking at me

"Okay" I agree going to pick up my bag but she beats me to it and is carrying them for me in the same direction of Rusty's room but then opens the opposite door. I walk in and it's very plain but I don' care it's still lovely there is a black leather double bed in the middle of the room with black and white draws and wardrobes a leather seat in the corner and a TV opposite the bed with remotes right next to it

"It's lovely. Thank you" I say as she puts my bag on the bed

"No problem I'll be just next door if you need me" She says walking to the door

"Okay Night" I say smiling

"Night "She says turning off the light switch and then closing the door

**Should I continue?**

**Also I didn't know how old Rusty is so I made up that he's 16 years old**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Major Crimes or any of the characters other than Annie-Joy.**

**Joy pov**

I wake up the next morning and look around light is shining through the window and I can hear noise from outside the room. I get up and grab my bag from the chair I unzip it and find my phone. Its 9:20 not too late I think. I walk out the room with my hair in a messy bun still from sleeping my pyjama top and shorts on and my phone in hand. I walk into the living room and see that Sharon is the only one up she's in the kitchen cooking something eggs I think. She looks up when I walk in

"Hey, you're up" She says

"Yeh" I say

"Do you want anything to eat?" She asks

"I'm not hungry" I lie

God knows how many calories are in that, but I'm not about to find out and if I did then I'd have to exercise it off or threw it up which I hate doing it's unpleasant and people start to notice.

"You didn't eat yesterday" She says looking concerned

"I know, I'm just not feeling great" I lie again

"Are you sick?" She asks putting her hand on my head

"No just not one hundred percent that's all" I say

It's strange I think I have known this woman for less than a day and she already seems to care about me and actually be concerned for my health, no one has ever really cared about me before so I don't know how to respond.

"Well you're not hot, but I you're not going to eat at least have a drink" She says taking her hand off my forehead

"Okay, I'll have some water" I say grabbing a glass of the side and filling it with tap water

"Fine, but I expect you to eat at dinner tonight" She says in a no argument tone

"I will" I say

Rusty comes out his room about ten minutes later and just sits on the sofa not saying anything

"Would you like some food?" Sharon asks him from the kitchen

"Sure" He replies not even looking at him

I elbow him and he rolls his eyes

"Please" He adds on and smiles sarcastically at me

She walks out the kitchen five minutes later with a full fried breakfast and puts them on the table in front of Rusty

"Thanks" grumbles Rusty

"Okay, I'm just going to tell you guys some rules" She says and I nod

"Oh gosh" I hear Rusty say and again I elbow him again.

"Okay, no drinking, no smoking, absolutely no drugs, no going out without my permission, always tell me where you are, never stay out after 10pm, try in school, don't lie and don't bring anyone here without my permission"

"Fine by me" I say smiling

"We don't go to school" Says Rusty

"Well you're going to start" She says picking up the now empty plate of food and walking back to the kitchen. Rusty turns to look at me

"Why are you acting like a suck up?" He says in a condescending tone

"I'm not I'm acting polite" I say rolling my eyes

"Yes, you are!" He says loudly and then gets up storms to his room and slams the door.

I breathe out heavily and put my head in my hands and close my eyes

"You okay?" Sharon asks sitting down next to me, I jump up shocked to see her

"Sorry, did I scare you?" She asks

"No it's fine" I say trying to act like she had never scared me

"Okay, so are you going to answer my question?" She asks

"Oh, Yeh I'm fine just stressed out" I say

"Okay, well I'm here if you need me" She says

I nod then get up walk to my room close the door and then slide down it till I hit the floor. Why am I still here, I hate my life.

**That's where I'm going to leave it for now.**

**Please review the more reviews I get the quicker I'll update and I'd also like to thank anyone who reviewed the last chapter **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Major Crimes or any of the characters other that Annie-Joy. Thanks to anyone that reviewed this story please continue with your amazing support.**

**Joy pov**

I silently cry whilst sat on the floor leaning against the door, I can feel tears streaming down my face and I open my mouth and let out a silent scream. I learnt a long time how to cry quietly when Rusty use to be asleep and I just couldn't deal with life anymore and I'd just break down crying. I can't talk about my problems to anyone I always bottle it up and it normally works because no one cares about me anyone. There were many times when I've thought about ending it all and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of Rusty all alone with no one else to go to. I close my eyes and try to push away the memories of all the nights I cried myself to sleep. I breathe heavily in and out trying to stop myself from crying and after a while it works. I sit there just thinking for five minutes until I hear my phone go off. I slowly raise myself off the ground and walk over to it

**Hey, are you okay? I haven't heard from you in a while- Jess**

I smile as memories off Jess flood into my mind; Jess is my best friend she was in one of my foster homes before we ran away. She actually bought me my phone, her family use to be rich before a tragic accident killed both of her parents now she can't access her money until she's 18. I don't know how much exactly she has but I think it was around £3.7 million; she managed to convince one of our foster parents to go with her to the bank to withdraw some money. She had to give some to our foster parents as that was the only reason they agreed to help her get it out, and then she got me the phone. I remember crying when I got it because it was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me.

I quickly text a reply to her with a shortened version of my situation at the moment and then shove my phone back into my bag. I can feel my hunger starting to build though and I know it's been at least 2 days since I've eaten. I feel quite dizzy as well which I know isn't a good sign so I decide that until Sharon forces me to eat I'll just try to lie down. I lay down on the bed slowly and stare at the plain white celling when I turn around to lay on my side I see myself in the mirror on the side table I notice that I'm very pale or paler than normal anyway. I have to lose weight after this I think, I decide that I want to see if I have already lost some weight rather than just lying down all day. I get up and walk to the door I creak it open and look down the hall no one is there so I walk straight into the bathroom. I notice some weighing scales in the corner of the room and I rush over to them. I take a deep breath before I stand on them I close my eyes for a second and then look down to find out what the dreaded number is this time **93lbs **it reads and I smile. That's 3 pounds of from when I last checked. I stand there looking down at the scales so lost in my own thoughts that I don't hear Sharon walk into the room until she speaks

"You seem happy" She says from behind me

I twirl around scared she had seen the number on the scales and now knows how truly fat and disgusting I was but she is at least 2 steps behind me so she can't have been able to.

"Oh, Yeh just thinking" I say and meanly hit myself for the stupid answer.

"How much?" She asks gesturing towards the scales I'm stood on

"To much" I say trying to play it off whilst I step off them and try to walk out the room but she quickly steps in front of the door of the bathroom.

"That's not true, I've seen more fat on a bone" She says with a serious face

"I highly doubt that" I say again trying to step round her but she again blocks my exit

"You look pale and I've not seen you eat a thing since you got here, so I'm going to make you some lunch and you're going to eat it" She says staring at me.

"Fine" I say knowing that I can just run it off later anyway but still the though off food makes me feel sick.

**Okay please read and review. The next update should be up by the end of the week.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Major Crimes or any of the characters other than Annie-Joy. Please review because this story really isn't doing very well so I don't know if I will continue if it doesn't get any this chapter. Anyway on with the story.**

**Annie pov**

I sit looking at the food sat on the table in front of me, and I add up the calories in my head. The thought of eating the greasy plate of food in front of me makes me want to physically be sick and I fight back the urge to gag whilst Sharon is stood in front of me watching my every modern and every face I pull, she really is a cop and it shows. I don't know why but I get the feeling that Sharon was onto me and that she was trying to find out all of my secrets, even the dark one's I don't want anyone to know! I know they're must be at least 500 calories in the plate of what might as well be fat in front of me, but if I don't eat it Sharon's suspicions will just raise and I don't need that on top of everything else. I pick up the silver fork sat next to the plate and stab it into a greasy chip covered in fat from the fryer and topped with vinegar. I pop it slowly into my mouth and practically force myself to put it into my mouth chew it and swallow it. Sharron is staring at me the whole time and I knew she knows I don't want to eat it. I really can't eat anymore, I actually feel sick my head is dizzy the food is making me want to throw up and I get a feeling like I actually am going to throw up so I grab the glass of water sat next to me take a sip and swallow it. I go to pick up another piece of food but as soon as it gets close enough to my face I can smell it, I jump up run to the bathroom slam the door shut and vomit. I'm still being sick when I feel someone holding my hair back rubbing my back, I knew its Sharron but I don't want to talk because I know she knows something is wrong. I slowly lift myself up from the toilet lid and stand up

"I think I'm sick" I groaned hoping that it will be a good enough excuse for a few days

"I think I can agree with that" She says whilst putting her hand round my shoulder and walking me towards my room. She opens the door to my room and then helps me onto the bed she tucks me in and I feel myself blushing due to how patronizing the situation was.

"I'll be one second, don't move!" She says in a firm tone

I just nod and then roll around to face the other side of the room I hear her walking out the room to the other side of the apartment. Whilst I'm on my own I realise how tired I actually still am despite how it's not at all even close to night time. I feel myself start to drip off but then I hear the door open and turn around to see Sharon walk back in, she's holding a wet flannel a thermometer and a glass of cold water. She sets the water and flannel on the bedside table

"Open" She says simply before shoving the thermometer in my mouth and then taking it out and raising an eyebrow.

"130, that is way too high!" She exclaims and I roll my eyes

"Don't play this down, go to sleep and I'll check on you in two hours and we are going to have a conversation because there is more to this than you being sick" She says again in a kinder tone

I again nod and she places the wet flannel on my head and I close my eyes and almost straight away fall asleep.

**Okay, please read and review. Any constructive criticism would be great.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Major Crimes or any of the characters sadly, thank you for the reviews they mean so much to me. Any ideas or constructive criticism will be** **appreciated.**

**Sharon pov**

Joy has been asleep for the nearly two hours now, but I don't know how to approach the conversation I have to have with her. I don't think Rusty's aware of anything the only reason he comes out his room is for food and when I make him, I made him come out 2's now the first for food which he has no problem with in fact he seems to love it and the second time was because I needed him to fill out some forms for his new school and revise for the tests they have to have. He didn't respond well when I told him what school it was complaining about how he wasn't catholic and he didn't want to go but I told him he had to. I hear a noise from Joy's room and so I stand up and walk towards her bedroom and knock on the door.

**Joy pov**

I wake up feeling very dizzy, I can vaguely hear someone else walking around the apartment probably Sharon I think. I lay back and close my eyes for two minutes before I start to remember what happened before I fell asleep. I start to breath heavily and my heart starts to beat ten times faster, I start to feel sick as I remember the exact words she said** "Don't play this down, go to sleep and I'll check on you in two hours and we are going to have a conversation because there is more to this than you being sick"** She knows she's going to make me start to eat more and I'll get fatter, I start to breath heavily and feel an asthma attack coming on I got them a lot when I was little and I still have the inhaler even though I hardly ever get them know, Rusty made me keep it. I try to recall where it is and remember that I put it in a pocket of my bag, I sit up on my bed still having difficulty breathing and now it's starting to make me feel dizzy. I stand up knocking something off the side as I do. C**p I think as I hear Sharon walk towards my room no doubt due to the noise, I still can't breathe now and the world is starting to spin due to the lack of oxygen. I hear the door open and Sharron walk in and I continue trying desperately to breath I think she heard me struggling because I hear her say

"Joy, what's wrong?" in a panicked tone as she walks towards me. I can't reply because I can barely breathe so I just point to my bag I think she got the point though because she rushed over to it and then passed it to me. I quickly unzip the front pocket and I pull out the inhaler I quickly put it in my mouth and puff air into it. I slowly feel myself start to breathe normally and the world stop spinning. I put the inhaler back in my bag and then turn back to Sharon

"Thank you" I say faking a smile

"It's no problem, are you okay?" She asked concerned rubbing my bag

"Yeh I am now" I say as the world finally stops spinning

"I didn't know you had asthma" She replied

"Yeh, well when I was little I don't normally have them anymore" I stated

"Well I think I should look after your inhaler, I am your legal guardian"

"Oh sure" I say getting it out my bag and passing it her

"So you had an attack for no reason?" She says looking sceptical

"I don't know" I muttered looking down

"I think you do and I think I know why but please tell me"

"I really don't know" I stammered louder now

"Talk to me" She almost begged pushing my chin up with her finger forcing me to look at her

"You already know" I say fairly certain

"Okay honey, here's what I know. I have not seen you eat anything more than 1 chip and that was because I was watching you"

"I wasn't hungry" I lie

"You have an eating disorder!" She insisted

"What? I don't have an eating disorder!"

"Yes, you do!" She insisted

"I weigh too much to have an eating disorder, I'm fine" I shout standing up and walking to the window at the other side of the room trying to put as much space as possible between us.

"It confuses me how you think that! You have no fat"

"Trust me I do" I say starting to feel sick again

"Okay then you wouldn't mind showing me how much you weigh?"

"I don't want to; do you need to know everything?"

"Yes I do! Now you show me your weight or I take you to hospital and they see"

"Fine!"

She starts to walk towards the door and I follow on we get to the bathroom and she stands next to the scales then looks at me. I slowly start to walk towards the scales

"Do I really have to do this?" I ask desperate for something to save me from the awkward of the moment

"This or hospital" She says not offering a compromise so I slowly put one foot on and then the other,

I look down and see it says 85pounds I smile that gives me a bmi of 16.

"Oh good god" I hear Sharron say beside me

"You need a therapist you need help" She says softly looking me in the eye

"No please don't make me go please!" I say

She stares at the scale for five minutes and then looks up

"I will not make you IF you let me weigh you once a week and I get to monitor what you eat"

"You mean force me to eat!" I say

"Well they'll do it in the hospital this is the better deal!"

"Fine Okay fine" I finally give in

"Can I please go back to my room now I still don't feel great" I add

"Okay"

**20 minutes later**

**Sharron pov**

"Do you do any sports?" I ask Joy as she lies in bed

"Why?" She asks

"For this school form" I reply sticking it up in the air

"Oh well, I use to ice skate, dance, cheerlead, trampoline, and gymnastics I haven't done any in a while though"

"Wow, that's a lot"

"Yeh, well I liked them"

"Well tell you what there's a skating rink not far from here, if you can convince Rusty to come and you get better and are not at school then I'll take you both and then we can go for ice cream"

I see her face drop at the last bit but don't complain

"Can I go to sleep now please" She asks and I nod.

**That's where I'll leave in now. It's longer than the last chapter so if you liked or didn't like please review any constructive criticism or ideas would be lovely.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Major Crimes or any of the characters sadly, thank you for the reviews!**

**Sharon pov**

I wake up to the sound of Joy's high pitched screaming down the hall, worried that she's in danger I quickly chuck the covers off my body jump off the bed and take off running down the hall. I walk into her room to see her thrashing around in her bed screaming, she's kicking and hitting the air and quite clearly trying to get away from someone in her dream. I hear footsteps behind me and see Rusty stood there watching just like me, I know he has always looked after her and woke her from these dreams before but I decide he needs to get used to the fact he doesn't need to anymore.

"Go back to bed, I'll look after her, don't worry" I say quietly I see he's about to protest before I say

" .bed" in a more firm tone.

He stands there for a second just watching her and then turns around and walks back to his room

I slowly walk towards Joy who is still thrashing around in her bed; I slowly shake her shoulders hoping it will wake her but she doesn't seem affected and carries on in her nightmare I need to wake her though I can't let her continue suffering in her nightmare so I continue trying to wake her

"Joy Wake up!" I decide to just yell after attempting to wake her up for 5 minutes. Hey eyes open wide and she sits straight up in bed. She sits breathing heavily and for a minute I think she's having another panic attack until she slowly turns to look at me

"Sorry for waking you up" She says pushing her golden blonde hair behind her ears and looking at me her innocent emerald green eyes staring at me.

"Don't be sorry, we all have nightmares" I reply sitting on the edge of her bed

"Yeh, but most of us don't wake up everyone when they have one" She says laying back

It is still not your fault; do you want to talk about it?" I ask wanting to find out what had her so scared even in her dream.

"No, It was nothing" She replies obviously lying but I don't push her even though I want to. I look at the clock to her side and notice its 6am already

"It's six already, we should get up" I say getting up off the bed

"I'm cool staying here" She says covering her face and golden wavy hair with her pillow

"Come on get up!" I try again but she just pulls her blanket further up her body and groans

" . " I say in my 'Detective tone' as my children use to call it

She continues to lay there doing nothing so I pull the blanket off her body

"What are you doing?" She asks in an annoyed voice

"Getting you up" I reply as she finally removes the pillow from her head and slowly sits up

"Why do I have to go with you? Why can't I stay here?" She asks standing up

"I can't leave you on your own" I reply passing her the blanket so she could make her bed

"No, you can't leave Rusty on his own" She groans

"Well, you're too young" I state walking out the door not giving her the chance to argue

I bang on Rusty's bedroom door and walk in telling him to get up like his sister; he's surprisingly easier to get up. He complains at first but I think he'd been up worrying about his little sister.

I'm sat drinking coffee when Joy walks into the room, I look up and smile she's got her long golden blonde hair down with a pure white headband pulling her fringe back. She's wearing some faded jeans and a black and white t-shirt with New York written on the front in big letter. I get up and walk towards the kitchen

"What do you want to eat?" I ask and watch as she rolls her eyes and pouts

"I'm not hungry" She states simply sitting down

"We made a deal, and unless you want to go to a hospital, I recommend you eat something"

"Fine, can I just have a slice of toast?" She asks

"Yes, that's fine it'll just be two minutes" I say getting some bread and popping it in the toaster and then pouring her a large glass of fresh orange juice and placing it in front of her

"When did this start?" I ask

"What?" She asks looking up from the table

"You're eating habits" I reply not knowing how to phrase it

"There's nothing wrong with my eating habits, I'm not dead I'm just getting better"

"There's everything wrong with your eating habits and getting skinny is not getting better" I state

"What are you guys talking about?" I hear as Rusty steps out from behind the door….

**Okay so I'm going to leave it there, please read and review.**


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